Tren Maya Episode 16 - Ruta Puuc

[@emmaherrick8472]

Wow!! What an adventure!! Husband and I love to explore Mayan Ruins......Guatemala, Tikal is favorite.

[@GeorgiaandDavid]

We loved it!

[@ceruleanclouds5871]

Thank you .

[@GeorgiaandDavid]

Thanks for watching!

[@williamwoods2547]

Hola Georgia and David. A beautiful, informative video. So much has changed since I visited these sites 50 years ago. When I was at Kabah there were perhaps three, maybe four buildings plus the great arch that had been restored, and the spaces between the buildings weren't as cleaned up. On the plus side it was possible to enter the buildings and take photos. I enjoyed seeing the improvements. I spent the night camped at the ruins. 50 years ago things were very laid back. I envy the roads you had to visit the ruins. 50 years ago the road to Sayil was a one car wide muddy track through the jungle. At one point I got stuck in the mud (it was the rainy season) and I spent 30 minutes cutting brush and wedging it under my tires to get out. The ruins at Sayil have also been expanded considerably. I never reached Xlapak or Labna, which was very frustrating, but the roads there were even worse. I always regretted not photographing the arch at Labna. Your impressions regarding Xlapak are correct. That site has always been the least developed of the sites you visited in this video. The church at Ticul dates from about 1625. The church and convento have had a hard life. Much of the interior was stripped during the Revolution, and when John Lloyd Stephens visited the town in 1843 he reported the establishment abandoned and the convento falling into ruins. A bit of the cloister and the porteria still exist, as could be seen in your video. I really enjoyed Uxmal, although more has been restored since I was there. Admission used to be less than $3 pesos. I was able to enter all of the buildings and climb the Pyramid of the Magician. 50 years ago I was in great shape and scampered down the extra steep front stairs. Most people scooted down the steps on their butts, holding on to a chain. I felt so superior. There wasn't much else in the area to visit, certainly no Choco Story. That looked like fun, although I'm not sure I would have learned much that was new regarding cacao, since I wrote a research paper and gave a lecture on the subject when I was at university. The animals have turned into such beggars that they would never survive in the wild. Did the musicians come out to play just for you? I really have enjoyed seeing the new additions to all of the ruins. The church at Muna dates from 1653 to 1708, depending upon which part of the church you are looking at. Not much of the interior of the church survived the revolution, but the one story convento survives behind the church. Santa Elena was another church visited by Stephens. If you haven't read "Incidents of Travel in Yucatan" by John lloyd Stephens and Frederick Catherwood, or their "Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas and Yucatan" I recommend them highly. Travel in the area in the 1840's was really taxing, and they left just before the outbreak of the Caste War. I guess the interior of the church at Santa Elena was also closed, It contains a couple of interesting folk baroque retablos and some rare painted box retablos. Otherwise the interior is huge but spartan, with interior passages in the upper reaches of the massave stone walls. The ossuary that was originally located on the south side of the church has been cleared away. There were times when I encountered closed churches, but sometimes there was an open door on the side or at the rear of either the church or convento. Sometimes no one cares if you come in, and a $20 peso contribution for a few minutes of filming might be all that it takes to become welcome. I appreciate your reluctance to film in a church when a service is in progress, but I know a Mexican KZbinr who sometimes films during a service, walking in as far as the transept. I guess it all depends on circumstances. I wonder if next weeks video includes a visit to Hacienda Yaxcopoil? I found it both interesting and picturesque, and the three little boys I hired as guides cost a mere $1 peso apiece. I suspect you are still dealing with hot temperatures. Stay hydrated. Central and southern Mexico should be rainy the rest of the month.

[@GeorgiaandDavid]

We were glad for the good roads as well. We haven't been so lucky here in Chihuahua along the chepe train route. Things are the most rural we have experienced. We often don't have cell service and Most hotels don't provide WIFI since it is only available via Starlink. Most of the women here still wear the traditional clothing and many don't speak Spanish. We were actually cold the other night as temperatures dipped into the 40s. The research papers I wrote were much more boring (finance major). We enjoyed Choco story and yes they did the performance just for us. I'll have to look up those books as we have a fifteen hour ferry journey in our future. We are heading to Mazatlan soon to rest for a month before crossing over to Cabo.

[@bryanjimenez5845]

So cool

[@GeorgiaandDavid]

Definitely one of our favorite experiences in Mexico!

[@teteflores-]

Saludos, Georgia y David. Gracias por las vistas arqueológicas que nos comparten, espero algún día visitarlas personalmente. Me encantaron las interacciones con los diversos animalitos y muchas gracias por mostrarnos el museo del chocolate y el acercamiento a nuestras raíces prehispánicas. Sigan disfrutando este gran viaje y compartiendo sus maravillosas experiencias con nosotros.

[@GeorgiaandDavid]

¡Gracias! Espero que puedas visitarlos, son increibles.

[@montysano]

So, the first of our Mexico trips was to Yucatan in 2021. We based in Merida, and to get our feet on the ground, hired a local guide to take us out for two days. Day one was Uxmal, with lunch at Lol Pich! Great stuff, y'all. Makes my wife and I pine for the Yucatan.

[@GeorgiaandDavid]

The ruta puuc is definitely one of our favorite experiences in Mexico. Glad you got to experience it!

[@williamwoods2547]

Hola Georgia and David. 50 years ago it was easier to find bad roads than good once I left the main highways. I liked the adventure, however. I experienced a few really cold nights in Mexico. One trip there was a blizzard in Arizona, and I was camping on the Gulf of California. Freezing air flowed freely down the gulf, since there was nothing to stop it. Re the books be aware that both titles consist of two volumes, and are available from Dover Publishing. Other editions are available, and I think the Smithsonian offers an abridged edition. The Dover edition may be out of print, but used copies are common. Oh, and I got along just fine without WIFI. If I wanted to call my mom and reassure her that I was still alive I had to locate the caseta de larga distancia, and if it was in a store that closed at 6:PM or was closed on Sunday, too bad. Rio Frio, between Tlaxcala and Mexico, DF, was also bitter cold at night. I camped there too. It's been 50 years since I stayed in Mazatlan. I'm sure I wouldn't recognize anything there. In 1974 the population was about 175,000. North of town along the beaches there were mostly little trailer parks and a few motels, and plenty of open space. I'm looking forward to the second part of last weeks video. Stay safe.

[@GeorgiaandDavid]

I can live without WIFI and AC for a few days but I don't think I would have enjoyed Mexico as much when you traveled. A bit too rustic for me lol. Looking forward to our highrise condo with a pool in Mazatlan.